Jason Hodson ’15, Hutchinson, is assisting Drew Israels-Swenson, manager of the Someplace Safe Thrift Store, with a marketing strategy. Someplace Safe is a nonprofit organization working to eliminate violence in west central Minnesota and beyond. Hodson’s task is to create and execute a flexible, low-cost marketing strategy for the organization’s Morris store.

The store’s nonprofit status leaves little money for marketing, so Hodson relies heavily on social media, in addition to printed flyers, to cost-effectively spread the word about the store. Hodson, who wants to pursue a career in marketing for a large corporation, believes this experience in what he calls “grassroots marketing” has been beneficial. Though at times the job is difficult, he “feel[s] good about what [he’s] doing because it’s for a good cause.”

This project is partially supported by an operating support grant to the University of Minnesota, Morris Center for Small Towns from the Otto Bremer Foundation.

The University of Minnesota, Morris Center for Small Towns (CST) is a community outreach program that serves as a point-of-entry to the resources of the University of Minnesota. Small towns, local units of government, k-12 schools, nonprofit organizations, and other University units are able to utilize the Center’s resources as they work on rural issues or make contributions to rural society. Their mission is to focus the University’s attention and marshal its resources toward assisting Minnesota’s small towns with locally identified issues by creating applied learning opportunities for faculty and students.

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The Legacy – the new senior assisted living would like to invite you to their grand opening June 21st and 22nd from 3 to 8p. There will be tours throughout the afternoon and evening and a family buffet for …